Allied Warships

HMS Blanche (H 47)

Destroyer of the B class

HMS Blanche before World War Two

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	B
Pennant	H 47
Built by	Hawthorn Leslie & Co. (Hebburn-on-Tyne, U.K.)
Ordered	4 Mar 1929
Laid down	29 Jul 1929
Launched	29 May 1930
Commissioned	14 Feb 1931
Lost	13 Nov 1939
Loss position	51° 29'N, 1° 30'E

History	During the night of 12/13 November 1939 the German destroyers Karl Galster, Wilhelm Heidkamp, Hermann Kunne and Hans Ludemann lay a minefield in the South and Edinborough channels. Soon after the minefield had been laid the minelaying cruiser HMS Adventure (Capt. A.R. Halfhide, RN) ran into a mine. Temporally disabled the injured were transferred to the destroyer HMS Basilisk (Cdr. M. Richard, RN) while the destroyer HMS Blanche (Lt.Cdr. R.M. Aubrey, RN) stood by. As the force made its way towards safety HMS Blanche was mined and settled by the stern. The tug Fabia went to the destroyers assistance but as she was towed the destroyer capsized and sank in position 51º29'N, 01º30'E. HMS Blanche lost two crew killed and twelve injured. See this website (offsite link) for a detailed account of the mining of HMS Adventure and HMS Blanche.

Commands listed for HMS Blanche (H 47)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Lt.Cdr. Robert Marriott Aubrey, RN	27 Jun 1939	13 Nov 1939

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Notable events involving Blanche include:

25 Oct 1939
HMS H 33 (Lt.Cdr. L.J. Caldwell, RN) shifted from Dover to Sheerness. She was escorted by HMS Blanche (Lt.Cdr. R.N. Aubrey, RN).

HMS H 33 was then taken in hand for refit at the Sheerness Dockyard. (1)

13 Nov 1939
During the night of 12/13 November 1939 the German destroyers Karl Galster, Wilhelm Heidkamp, Hermann Kunne and Hans Ludemann lay a minefield in the South and Edinborough channels. Soon after the minefield had been laid the mine laying cruiser HMS Adventure (Capt. A. R. Halfhide, RN) ran into a mine. Temporally disabled the injured were transferred to the destroyer HMS Basilisk (Cdr. M. Richard, RN) while the destroyer HMS Blanche (Lt.Cdr. R.N. Aubrey, RN) stood by. As the force made its way towards safety HMS Blanche was mined and settled by the stern. The tug Fabia went to the destroyers assistance but as she was towed the destroyer capsized and sank. HMS Blanche lost two crew killed and twelve injured.

See this website (offsite link) for a detailed account of the mining of HMS Adventure and HMS Blanche.